My Brother's Keeper
by jtav
Summary: The Triwizard judges select the hostages for the second task.


Triwizard Tournament business should not be conducted in the Hogwarts staff room. It feels wrong to Percy, like holding a trial entirely in the judge's chambers instead of a proper courtroom. There should be a special chamber, one in each of the three schools, perhaps, that is dedicated to tournament business. It should not be filled with overstuffed chairs and reek of ink and pumpkin juice. Oak-paneled walls and decanters filled with elf-made wine would be more appropriate.

It doesn't matter what he thinks. Dumbledore has asked that the judges meet here, and so he has come. The others are already seated around a small table. Bagman, Karkaroff, and Maxime regard him with skeptical expressions. He is suddenly very aware that he is not the rightful judge. He takes a deep breath and hopes no one notices. It is ridiculous for him to be nervous. Has he not been practically running the Department of International Magical Cooperation these last few months, and doing a bloody fine job of it despite the fact that Mr. Crouch's notes have been growing increasingly vague? He can handle a simple meeting.

Dumbledore smiles at him. "Welcome, Mr. Weasley. Please, have a seat."

He does so, seating himself between Dumbledore and Bagman. Maxime's sheer size intimidates him, and Karkaroff... well, he knows better than to trust a former Death Eater, supposedly reformed or no. He nods to everyone at the table, and then Dumbledore clears his throat.

"In two weeks time," he says, "the second task will be held. It is time for us to select the hostage that each champion will rescue. Each hostage should have some special meaning for his or her champion -- a friend, lover, or family member -- to provide appropriate motivation. Of course, the hostages will be enchanted by me so that they are perfectly safe during their time in the lake." He turns to Karkaroff. "Igor? Do you have any suggestions as to who Mr. Krum might value?"

Karkaroff wrinkles his nose in disgust. "It must be the Granger girl with whom he is so enamored. He is always trailing after her, finding excuses to be nearby. He is obsessed with the mud -- Muggle-born," he adds hastily.

Percy and Bagman both glare at Karkaroff, but Dumbledore ignores his near slip of the tongue. "Very well, then. Miss Granger it is. What about Miss Delacour? Should we press Mr. Davies into service, Olympe?"

"I do not think so. Fleur has never been enamored with any one boy for long. They are a means to -- what do you English call it? -- a good time. Your Mr. Davies is no different." She thinks for a moment. "She loves her sister dearly. Fleur would brave the very fires of Hell for Gabrielle." She looks at Percy and Bagman. "Could your Ministry arrange a Portkey?"

"Yes," says Percy. He'll be firecalling his French counterpart for at least an hour, and he doesn't want to even think about all the forms that will have to be owled across the Channel. But it can be done, and he is eager to appear helpful and competent.

"Excellent. That leaves only the Hogwarts champions." Dumbledore steeples his fingers. "I admit that I do not know Cedric as well as I would like. He has never confided in me the way some other students have. Does anyone have any suggestions?"

"What about his father?" asks Bagman. "Amos was always bringing Cedric with him to work when he was small, and the boy tagged along after him like a puppy. I'd wager that they're still close."

"We can't use Amos Diggory," Percy says. He opens his briefcase, removes a piece of parchment, and consults it. "He's the keynote speaker for the International Conference on Elfish Affairs being held in Majorca in two weeks. The Aurors arrested the Italian Undersecretary for Magical Secrecy three months ago for his part in a dragon egg smuggling ring. My office feels that it is not wise to antagonize their government further by asking Mr. Diggory to withdraw from the conference."

"Saying that he was busy would have been sufficient. The details are irrelevant."

Percy clenches his fist beneath the table and fights the urge to punch Karkaroff in the nose. "I merely wished to be thorough."

"Thorough? It sounded to me like you were being a pomp --"

Dumbledore holds up a hand, and Karkaroff falls silent. Percy is grateful. It wouldn't be appropriate to brawl with the headmaster of the Durmstrang Institute, no matter how obnoxious he was. He forces himself to keep his voice neutral. "Might I suggest Cho Chang? They looked like they were having a good time at the ball. If nothing else, he'll save her because of all the teasing that would occur if he didn't. Unless anyone has a better idea?"

No one does, and Percy feels a slight thrill of victory. These experienced, powerful, well-known witches and wizards have deferred to _him_. He allows himself a small smile.

Dumbledore is speaking again. "That leaves Harry Potter. I believe I can say with near certainty that Miss Patil would be an inappropriate choice." Everyone nods; they've all seen how Harry behaved at the Yule Ball. Percy thinks it's a miracle that Parvati didn't hex him. Penelope would have. "His Muggle guardians are even more unsuitable." He turns to Percy. "As Hermione has already been claimed, I believe the best choice would be Ron Weasley."

"Pardon?" Percy feels himself go pale. Dumbledore cannot be serious. It's one thing for a stranger to be at the bottom of the lake, quite another for it to be Ron. Dumbledore might miscast the protection spell, or it might run out before Harry can rescue him. Ever since Bill left home, Percy has considered it his responsibility to watch over his younger siblings. Charlie had time only for his Quidditch and his dragons, and Fred and George weren't anyone's ideal protectors. His responsibility did not end when he left Hogwarts. He will not allow Ron to be placed in needless danger.

Bagman leans forward and props his elbows on the table. "He's Harry's best mate, isn't he? That ought to motivate him. I say Weasley's it."

Bagman sounds surprisingly eager for a supposedly impartial judge, but Percy doesn't have time to ponder the meaning of his tone. He has to think fast, and he can't let the other judges see how worried he is. "Harry has other friends. What about Neville Longbottom? They're in the same year, and I know that they served detention together at least once. Harry would miss him; I know it."

"That may be true," says Dumbledore softly, "but it is not the same as what he feels for Ron. You know better than anyone that Harry considers the Weasley family his own. Ron is, in a real sense, his brother."

Percy blinks. Dumbledore is right. Harry is a part of his family. That gives him an idea: a foolish, desperate idea, but still an idea. "Take me." The others turn to look at him with open astonishment, and Percy seizes his chance. "You just said that Ron was Harry's brother. That makes him my brother, too. Family is family. He'll miss me enough." He doesn't want to spend more than an hour at the bottom of the lake and get sopping wet, but he will do more than that for Ron. He realizes that his voice is beginning to break, and he wrestles it back into a professional tone. "I can get a replacement judge. It won't be difficult."

No one says anything for a long moment. Percy chooses to believe it is because they are considering his proposal. The seconds tick by. Finally, Karkaroff breaks the silence. "Such nobility. Such foolish, unnecessary nobility. Do you think I do not see what you are doing? If you truly believed that your brother was not the proper choice, you would not be protesting so. No, I think Harry Potter should have to rescue his friend."

"I say we put it to a vote."

Dumbledore looks around the table. He sighs. "Very well. All those in favor of having Ron Weasley as Harry Potter's treasure for the second task, please raise your hand." Karkaroff's, Maxime's, and Bagman's hands all go up. Percy's shoulders slump. He knows what's coming. "All those opposed, please raise your hand."

Percy is the only one to raise his hand. Maxime looks from Dumbledore to him and back again. "Albus? You have not voted."

"I... abstain."

For some reason, this makes Percy feel worse than simply being outvoted. Ron will be Harry's treasure. He can only hope that everything will go according to plan. If it does not, he will jump in the lake and drag Ron out himself and to hell with the Triwizard Tournament. If anyone has a problem with that, he will toss them into the lake as well.

The rest of the meeting is taken up with determining the logistics of crowd control for the second task. The others don't really need his input, and Percy listens without much interest. When the meeting is adjourned, he goes to follow Karkaroff, Maxime, and Bagman out. Dumbledore lays a hand on his arm. "Your brother will be safe."

"Yes, sir," he says, only mostly believing it.

"Igor was right in that your attempt at sacrifice was unnecessary." He smiles again. "It is the unnecessary and sometimes foolish things that we do that show our true selves. Remember that."

Percy doesn't know what to say to that, so he bids Dumbledore farewell and takes his leave. Ron is in the courtyard, playing Gobstones with a boy Percy doesn't recognize. He moves to stand over the pair of them, watching. Ron tries to pretend he doesn't see him. When that doesn't work, he finally looks up. "Hi, Percy."

"Hello." He kneels down and squeezes Ron on the shoulder. He starts to tell Ron that he loves him, but the words won't quite come. The other boy snickers.

Ron jerks his arm away. "Are you trying to humiliate me? What was that for?"

"Nothing." Percy smiles. "Nothing at all."


End file.
